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over a decade has passed since this was published, so I'm reading this not only to see what he writes, but almost like a time capsule, to compare what was with what is

"extremism flourishes in an environment in which respectable voices offer no solutions as the population suffers"

I started reading this two years ago (I didn't realize it had been so long) before my loan ran out. I've finally checked it out again, and I'm enjoying it.

I like the plot already. The characters are interesting, if a bit conventional - war wear veterans with lots of emotional baggage, a ship learning to be a live.

but the writing is also pretty clunky to be honest. it very much feels like Powell chooses to tell rather than show. it's still a good book, but it's definitely noticeable.

I love that Miles apparently doesn't realize that his Aunt Alice and Ilyan are becoming involved, especially in the breakfast scene when he notes that "she appeared to be experimenting with her hairstyle" and was wearing a robe more suited for dinner. Falling into the analytical trap of letting his preconceived notions of who Alice and Ilyan are/their roles in his life from properly accounting for new data?

Off to a fantastic start, where we get to see Miles in in full human fallibility. He's never been a superhero character, and has certainly made mistakes before, but the big mistake he makes here is not just a miscalculation based on wrong info, but a deliberate choice made by Miles out of a sense of a desperation, a need to hold onto his Little Admiral. a tragic, understandable, and absolutely wrong choice.

---Prior to Beginning---

If I remember correctly, Haze by Modesitt directly inspired me to create my 'SFF-politics' shelf, since he doesn't just write sci fi or fantasy stories, but clearly draws from previous works like Utopia by Thomas Moore to use them as allegorical commentary on the nature of our world. I expect Contrarian to continue that trend.

This is definitely one of the slowest books I've read of late. As any number of reviews can attest, a dictionary is a useful companion when you're reading this book, and the plot just sort of lends itself to a measured pace.